Ukrainian cinema exists, grows and develops. It goes for export and brings up the audience at home. And it is not just content, but a special communication channel. We are producers of Ukrainian movies, TV series, animation, and digital content who really want the advertising market to pay attention to us. You there, brands and agencies, look around! We do exist! And we share the same target audience (TA): Ukrainian society in all its diversity.
So, I outline below five important facts about Ukrainian content as follows.
1 It exists and has nowhere to go
The production of Ukrainian content grew by 10% in 2016, against the previous year. Given the problematic economic situation, this is an excellent result. We have not yet reached a record figure of 2013, but there is a chance to do it by the end of 2017. And it is only about market tools, i.e. the Ukrainian content is in demand, and we are still far from fully supplying it.
2 Ukrainian cinema grows both in terms of quantity and quality
Only to the State Film Agency’ contest there were submitted 172 projects in search of government support. All those who monitored and/or participated in the contest (FILM.UA Group, for example) pointed out a very high level of projects and their variety of genres. Ukrainian cinema grew out of sad art house sleepers, and has a good chance in the coming years to become an important part of not only the Ukrainian culture, but also of the lifestyle of our citizens, a part of their leisure. And these are millions of viewers.
3 Ukrainian content generates advertising by itself
In order to make audiences go to the cinema, it is essential to sell them movies. Therefore, each release is accompanied by an advertising campaign. Selling tickets to 10 people requires informing at least 60 people. This is the cinema business’ ABC book, which FILM.UA already learned and applied knowledge while distributing “Nezlamna” (Indestructible), and now are running a campaign of “Storozhova Zastava” (The Stronghold) and are planning a campaign of “The Stolen Princess”. And there is no way to do without this sacred knowledge. A good promotional campaign of a movie is always the 360 one, all channels (TV, internet, press, outdoor advertising, events). And the partner brand variations may be infinite. Only we, for example, can offer product placement, mobile game, AR and VR attractions, merchandising, game zones in cinemas and shopping and entertainment centers (SEC). And, surely, the indoor advertising as well.
4 Cinema is followed by desired TV-set and ubiquitous Internet
After distributing a movie in cinemas, it is usually shown on TV. And its audience increases even tenfold. Then it is uploaded to the broadcaster or producer’s official YouTube channel, which means that its audience goes on growing. Thus, becoming a partner of a released movie, the brand gets an option of diverse and frequent contacts with audience, rather than just appears for a few seconds on the screen, offering a viewer an opportunity to disappear for a moment.
5 Cinema is not just movies
The characters and images born in film making should be bright and interesting; otherwise nothing will come of it, because the audience should not get bored! And the more interesting is the character and the brighter is the movie environment, so the more opportunities to last its existence outside the screen. Moreover, the greater is the chance that the cartoon character, for example, of “Mom Hurries Home”, or a movie may become a toy, a nice print for T-shirts or bags, a sticker, a cup, and so on. The imagination is unmeasured. And the brand gets another new way to communicate.
